Finding My Reason
by Winter Oak
Summary: Jack questions why he is in Forget-Me-Not Valley.


Disclaimer: I don't own Harvest Moon

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Finding My Reason

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Spring First

Year One

Sunny

Dear Diary,

Sitting tiredly under the large poplar tree in the middle of the field with dirt sticking onto my clothes, I wondered how I got into this in the first place. After graduating from high school, I most definitely didn't see myself running a small, shabby farm.

I should have refused when Takakura mentioned it. If he hadn't been like a father to me, visiting my mother and I every now and then to make sure we were doing fine ever since my own father died, I would never had considered agreeing to help him restore this farm. In fact, I would have turned tail and run off when he began showing me around the rundown place. My respect for Takakura is the only thing preventing me from running off now. Mind you, I'm really close to snapping.

Jack

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Spring Second

Year One

Sunny

Dear Diary,

This was not the life I had imagined. I mean, even if I was very imaginative, I don't think I would have imagined that I would spend the rest of my life staring oddly at a cow all day, trying to decipher what it was trying to tell me. In the city, I would know how to get around, have had friends and family, and maybe even a decent job. Why am I here?

Jack

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Spring Third

Year One

Cloudy

Dear Diary,

I want to go home. The cow keeps looking at me weirdly. I'm doing my best here! It's not my fault I didn't realize I had to feed her until today –it's not like I know how to run a farm! Though, I suppose Takakura did mention feeding the cow. I suppose I should be thankful that Cari settled for just glaring at me instead of biting my head off –and I'm quite sure she could have done that with that giant mouth of hers. Still, the glares are creeping me out. I wish she would stop.

Takakura is making it even more difficult for me to give up on the farm. He let me name the farm, built a doghouse for me, and then he gave me a free cow! Not that I wanted a cow –or liked it. In addition, every day, at –what was it?— six in the morning, he would walk to the city and back to sell the farm's dairy products. Then he would make sure I was doing well. At this point, it would be cruel to leave him alone on the farm. I still want to go home though. Man, how troublesome.

Jack

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Spring Fourth

Year One

Sunny

Dear Diary,

Takakura is like… invincible or something. I have no idea how he wakes up so early every morning, walks to the city towing a huge load of milk with him, and back without fainting from exhaustion. Then again, I can't imagine the man fainting. I mean, he just seems so… invincible. Throughout the day, I just keep staring at him, wide-eyed, while making sure he doesn't suddenly drop dead. In fact, I've gotten into the habit of giving him lots of cooked food and milk to make sure he doesn't drop dead and leave me alone with the crazy cow.

Speaking of food, I've been living on wild plants ever since I came here, which, by the way, aren't very filling and taste terrible. I don't remember the last time I've had an actual meal.

I've been saving up for an actual meal though by going around the town collecting wild plants and flowers and selling them to villagers. Either I'm very nice or those villagers know how to haggle really well because I haven't earned enough for a tomato seed. I want to go home.

Jack

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Spring Fifth

Year One

Cloudy

Dear Diary,

I've finally gotten around to meeting the villagers. I suppose they are pleasant enough. Takakura keeps telling me that I should get to know the villagers better so I make time to talk to them every day. They sometimes say the strangest things. Take Rock for example… he keeps talking about sleepovers or something odd like that. One word: Huh? I think I'll avoid him for a while.

Takakura also told me that the villagers would tell me interesting things if I showed them some of the items I have but so far they assumed that they were gifts. Of course, I couldn't turn them down. I'm a nice person after all. So after losing five jugs of milk, and some fish, I decided only to show the villages flowers. So far, they haven't managed to tell me anything interesting about them.

It's a little lonely moving into a new place. I miss living in a house with other people. I miss my friends. I had always wanted to be an independent person after graduating from school but… well, not this independent. I suppose it isn't so bad with Takakura there to support me –though he isn't helping with my food situation. Things will somehow work out.

Jack

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Spring Sixth

Year One

Rainy

Dear Diary,

Takakura is still alive and well, which leaves me open-mouthed everyday. He's starting to wonder why I keep staring at him like that… and why I look like a stupid gold fish every time he walks by.

Jack

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Spring Seventh

Year One

Sunny

Dear Diary,

I just realized that I needed to feed my dog too. The dog was totally fine without me before. What is with the sudden reliance? Now I'm getting double the evil glares everyday –yes, the cow still hasn't forgiven me (if you ever buy a cow, remember that they bear long grudges). Let's hope dogs don't do the same thing. Man… now I have to share my wild plants with him. I'm hungry… still.

Jack

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Spring Eighth

Year One

Sunny

Dear Diary,

Takakura wants me to get married by the end of the year. Well, he didn't exactly say that but I'm quite sure he was hinting at it. He's beginning to push it. I deal with the crazy, glaring cow everyday because of him. I have no need to deal with a glaring female.

As a side note, Muffy dropped by the farm today and learned some amazing things about dogs from me. I couldn't stop laughing after she left… I hope she didn't notice. Aw, I hope she doesn't start glaring at me too.

Jack

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Spring Ninth

Year One

Rainy

Dear Diary,

The farm is doing well… kind of. Despite the evil one-eyed glare, Cari gives good quality milk. The farm is making lots of money and I managed to buy a chicken. I made sure to feed the chicken as soon as it set foot on my farm. I don't want to add another creature that glares at me everyday on the farm –two evil glares are enough. Now I'm afraid that if I stop giving Takakura food everyday, he would start glaring at me too. Trust me, his evil glares are… really… scary.

Jack

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Spring Tenth

Year One

Rainy

Dear Diary,

On rainy days like this, while trudging through the village, I wonder why I was doing this again. Again and again, I think back to Takakura and all that he has done for me and all he is doing for me right now. Yet, while thinking of that, I realize that I shouldn't live my life pleasing other people. At the same time, I can't convince myself to leave Takakura alone to run the farm. Life in Forget-Me-Not Valley hasn't been too bad.

Perhaps I'll find my own reason for staying here.

Jack


End file.
